A Hwange Quickie

[Safaridude]

Inspired by @Bush dog's trip report on Hwange (and I missed Bush dog by a week or two, but I would like to think I blazed the trail for him )... http://safaritalk.net/topic/18588-hwange-cheetahs/

 

Here is just a short quickie/photo TR form Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe in September 2017.

 

A dead elephant (natural death) in the Camp Hwange concession

 

Vultures and marabou storks fight for the last scraps

 

A lioness surrounded by elephants at Bumbumutsa

 

An old friend, "Vusi", near Big Toms

 

This is Vusi back in 2014, viewed with @Game Warden inside the Camp Hwange concession.

 

Here is something you don't see every day... a picnic lunch near Big Toms is interrupted by a pride of lions attacking a young elephant bull.

 

The elephant was somehow able to shake loose all the lions by running into the mopane woodland and "scraping" them off with the branches.  The whole episode lasted 5-10 minutes.

 

A much more peaceful moment with elephants at Masuma

 

In the Wilderness concession now... a group of young sable bulls vying for the females

 

Two resident cheetah brothers on a waterbuck kill

 

Digging in

 

A lion cub on a zebra kill at Ngamo

 

Elephants at dusk near Samavundhla

 

A zebra stallion killed in a fight with another stallion

 

The remains of a sable bull

 

A mock-charge at the Little Makalolo woodpile hide

 

Play time

 

Wild dog near Davison's Camp

 

A whole gang of them at Ngweshla

 

A happy zebra

Edited May 31, 2018 by Safaridude

[madaboutcheetah]

@Safaridude - simply brilliant!!!!

[Peter Connan]

Lions on an elephant is certainly a rare find, but I wonder if cheetah sucessfully killing a Waterbuck is not perhaps even rarer?

 

"play time" is a gorgeous shot!

[pault]

Quickie but goodie @Safaridude Looks like a very nice trip and some special memories.

[wilddog]

Some very special moments there, captured beautifully. Thanks for sharing @Safaridude

[Soukous]

Always a pleasure to look at your photos Ken, and some pretty cool sightings too. Thanks for sharing.

[Bush dog]

@Safaridude

 

Thanks a lot for sharing and also advertising my reports.  You did not only blaze the trail for me but you also left your spirit in Wasington's car, I felt it

 

I can only repeat what Hari said :  SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!!!!!!

[lmSA84]

Thanks for sharing. The elephant hunting shot is an incredible scene 

[Kitsafari]

Brilliant ele-lion shot (among others) Wish we could have seen the while sequence of the ele shakingoff the lions!

 

Thanks for sharing the precious memories that were beautifully captured.

[TonyQ]

Excellent, thank you!

[SafariChick]

Fantastic shots of some really fabulous sightings - wow! Thanks so much for sharing!

[michael-ibk]

Delighted to see some of your excellent photowork again, @Safaridude - great stuff, thanks.

[Safaridude]

Thanks All.

 

@Peter Connan

 

Yes, it must be a rarity -- cheetahs going after waterbucks.  I asked the guides at Little Makalolo if those cheetah boys specialized in waterbucks, and the answer was no.

Edited June 7, 2018 by Safaridude

[Alexander33]

Some great photos. The young elephant bull being attacked by the lion pride was amazing!  (I have to admit I’m glad he got away in the end). 

[Hads]

@Safaridude as others have mentioned- what superb photography. Cracking photos.

[Atravelynn]

Between the lions attacking the ele and the dead zebra stallion, you show how brutal things can get.  Much beauty too!

[Marks]

Excellent photos. (I'm also pleased that the ele escaped!)

I very much like the mock charge shot; it has an undeniable immediacy to it.